Wagon-bed.



V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE! GEORGE H. PETERSON, OF NEMAIIA COUNTY,NEBRASKA.

WAGON-BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,134, dated August20, 1901.

Application filed June l2, 1901.

, `To .all tait/m t may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. Pnrnnson,

a 'citizen' of the United States, residing inthe county `ofNemaha"andState,` of Nebraska, have invented ,certain new and useful `Improvementsin Wagon-Beds; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable othersskilled in theart to which `it appertains toimake and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in wagons, and has for its Aobjectthe production of a wagon provided with a bed, all parts of which maybe` rigidly secured together and yet capable of being readily separatedand the various parts being provided with means for taking up wear.

It consists of certain novel constructions,

l n combinations, and arrangements of parts, as

` tion of the parts shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5

. represents a fragmentary detail perspective Vview of one of` the sidesof the wagon-bed carrying a strap-iron for engaging one of thetransverse angle-irons.

In the construction and operation of wagons I have found that it isoften necessary to remove the wagon box or bed from the running-gearsfor hauling lumber or other purposes, and it usually requirestwo men toremove the said box or bed. My invention consists in constructing awagon-bed which may be separated into a number of parts and the partsremoved by one person. In order to accomplish this, I provide a bottomto the bed l SQ.

. tances in the length of each of the sides 2 are arranged strap-irons,as 4, which are secured or box composed of a number of longitudinalpieces, as 1 1, and eac-h of the sides of a piece, as 2, and these partsare preferably supported by a bolster, as 3. At suitable dis- Serial No.64.305. (No model.)

l transversely of the side piece andhave their lower ends extendingbelowr the lower edge thereof, as at 5 5, which extensions are providedon their outer faces with ratchet-teeth, as at 5 5'. Arrangedtransversely of the wagon-bed and adapted to be secured to the underface of each of the pieces l 1 are any is provided with an aperture, asat 10, adapted to permit the ready passage therethrough of projection 5of strap-iron 4, and each of said ends is provided with a vcasting oriron, as 18, secured in position by means Iofbolts, as 19 19. The innerface of each of the irons 18 is provided with suitable ratchet-teeth, as20, which are adapted to engage Athe teeth 5' of strap-irons 4 upon eachside of the wagon bed, whereby any play between the sides and bottom ofthe wagonbed caused byl shrink age or Wear may be readily taken up.Should wear or shrinkage cause pieces 1 1 to become loosened, the samemay be readily forced together and held against spreading by means ofbolts 7 7, the slots 8 8 permitting of the lateral movement of the saidpieces.

` As a means for supportingtheside pieces 2 in a vertical position Iprovide an arm, as 13, carried by each end of each bolster 3, which armis pivotally secured at its lower end, as at 14, by means of a boltpassed therethrough and through said bolster, the said arm beingbifurcated at its lower end and passed to either side of said bolster,or the same may be simply straight and secured at only one side thereof,as desired. The top of each arm 13 is provided with a hook, as 15, whichis adapted to engage the top edge of side 2 and retain said side inposition; but in order to so retain said side 2 I find it necessary toprovide a brace, as 16, secured by a lug, as 17, formed upon arm 13, anda ring, as 17', carried by said arm and adapted to inclose the IOO upperendiof `.brace 16,-Wherebysad -armwigl-l t. be retained-'in averticalposi-tion. "The-brace 16 is preferably hinged at its lower end tobolster` 3 by means of a rod or bolt,as 23V pivotally securing the lowerend of said brace in any suitable manner, Wherebyfsaid brace, r whendisengaged from lug 17 and ring 17, may be swung down and out of the wayof arm 13 and permit said arm to be pivotedt from a vertical to ahorizontal plane, and1 thereby allow of the ready removal of the side 2,which side need only lto be swung outwardg to disengage ratchet-teeth 5from teeth 2Q, a1 similar pivoted brace, as 25, supporting eachN ofstrap-irons 4. A nut, as 21, is preferably o threaded on the outer endofbolt'23 for fpreventing the accidental removal of 'brace -16., whichbrace maybe removed `bythe removal of said nut. When the brace16,"h0wever, is 3 locjked rat its upper end .in engagement with i army13 by means of lug @1'7 and ring 1-7, iti will firm-ly and rigidlyretain the said 'arm' in l position, ,and the side 2 Wil-l be therebySupported in its vertical position. A suitable? lug or shoulder, asV2st, may be for-med upon the outer end of bolster 3 in con-tact Withbrace 416 for receiving the strain Aupon saidi brace. A suitableend-gate rod, as '22", may? be qemployed for assisting in retaining ythesides 2in their vertical position when desired, and when such rod isVused itwillof course be necessary to remove th-e same before removingasaid side pieces Altleughl -have described in detail one specificembodiment of my invention, yet do not wish to be understood as limitingmyself to the exact structlrre speciflied,but`shall ,o feel at libertyto .devi-ate from the exact size, shape, and minor details of myimproved wagon-bed withinthe spirit and scope of the present invention.A

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire'tosee-ure by Letters Patent, iS-

1. A Wagon-bed ,comprising in-itsconstruction side pieces, longitudinalstrips forming the bottom of said bed,.ineans fior removably supportingsaid? side piecesin their `vertical position and mea-ns for taking upWear between said bottom s-trips, comprising a beam extendingtransversely thereof andl formed withi elongated slots intermedia-te itslength, bolts passed. through saidl aperturesand s el cured to-saidlongitudinal strips, and means for retaining said longitudinal strips ina given relation to each other, substantially as described.

2. A vwagon, comprising in its .construction 4a Ybed"l1aving a bottomand sides, a bolster supporting the same, means for taking up wear inthe bottom, and means for removably securing each of the said sides,comprisingan farmpiv-.otally secured to each end of said bolster andprovided with a hooked 4portion at its upper end and adapted to sup-:port said sides, a brace pivotally secured to said bolster and adaptedto support said arm, and locking means for securing said arm and saidsbrace together, the construction being such that Whensaid brace isdisengaged from said arm, the arm may be swung from its vertical to ahorizontal plane, and the said side may be readily removed.

.3. A wagon-bed, comprising in its construction a bottom, sides, meansfor supporting the sides -in a lvertical position, and means for takingup wear between ,said bot-tom and sides, comprising angle-irons securedtransversely of said'bed `and extending 'beyond the Sides thereof'andformed with apertures in their ends, strap-irons secured `to said sidesyand extending beyond the lower edge thereof ,and each formed withratchet-'teeth upon said extension, such extension being adapted to bepassed through the aperture in one end of one of said angle-irons, acasting formed vwith ratchet-teeth adapted to engage the teeth of saidextension of one of thestrapironsan d means for securingsaid casting tosaid rangle-iron, substantially as described.

4. The combina-tion with a :wagon -provided with abcd andsupporting-holsters, of means for dismantling said bed for removing thesame from the running-gears and means for retaining the same inVposition when the parts are assembled, comprising pivoted arms carried`by the ends of said bolsters, adapted to 1 engage the sides of ysaidbed for supporting the same in La vertical position, or be swung out ofengagement therewith, means carried by said bolsters for supporting saidarms, means for receiving the strains upon said supports, transversebea-ms adjustably secured to the bottom of said bed, strap-irons 1carried bysaid sides and adapted to engage said transverse beams, andmeans for' bracing f said strap-irons, substantially as described.-

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of VtwoWitnesses.

GEORGE H. PETERSON.

Witnesses:

C. E. MEAD, CHARLES E. Woon.

IOO

